Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo: 'We are not trading Juan Soto'
The Washington Nationals are making known their stance on the future of star outfielder Juan Soto.
"We are not trading Juan Soto," Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo said Wednesday in a radio interview on 106.7 The Fan. "We made it clear to his agent and to the player."
The Nationals (18-33) have again failed to compete in the NL East and are on track for their third consecutive last place finish in the division. As the team continues to struggle, speculation has swirled that Washington could look to move its best player in a move to help add more assets to rebuild. Rizzo categorically rejected that.
"We have every intention of building this team around Juan Soto," Rizzo told The Fan. "We've spoken to his agent many, many times, recently sat with him when he was in Washington, D.C., and made it clear to him that we're not interested in trading him. I guess the rest of the world doesn't believe it, but that's our position."
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Soto, 23, isn't putting up the numbers so far in 2022 that he had become known for earlier in his career. He's on pace for a career-low .232 batting average and has hit nine home runs with just 16 RBI in 51 games. Soto, however, does lead the league with 42 walks, to give him a respectable .379 on-base percentage.
By comparison, however, Soto hit .313 last season and was the 2020 National League batting champion with a .351 average.
Still three years from free agency, Soto turned down the Nationals' 13-year, $350 million contract offer. "My agents and I think the best option is to go year after year and wait for free agency," Soto told ESPN. "My agent, Scott Boras, is in control of that situation."
The Nationals open a four-game series at the Cincinnati Reds Thursday night. The MLB trading deadline is August 2.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Juan Soto trade? Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says no
